Never Look Back
by ForeverFreelancer
Summary: He never planned for this exactly, to get caught up in small town troubles. He was a drifter, and that was just how he preferred to live life, never sticking around one place for too long before the law was on his tail yet again. It was easier this way, easier for everyone. What wouldn't be easy, he'd come to find, was fighting for what he wanted. Fighting for who he wanted.


_Many thanks to everyone who voted on the poll! I'm not sure if the people who took it are still around but the first chapter is finally here. And I'm going to try my hardest to keep updates consistent between this story and my other two, I promise. I'm not dead, I'm just...slow lately. If I'm to continue with it though, I'll need some feedback from people who want to see it continued. I normally don't ask for reviews, but with as many stories as I have planned and am working on, I just need to know if people want me to carry through with it or not. Fine Line WILL be updated shortly also, so keep your eyes pealed. And enjoy the first chapter!_

* * *

Chapter 1 Into the Fire

* * *

"Yeeeeeehaaaaawww! C'mon Bullet, hiyah!"

The thoroughbred huffed through its nostrils and whinnied loudly as his raccoon rider whipped the reins. The equine shook his head back and forth, his sleek copper-colored mane whipping about as he galloped faster and faster, his hooves stirring up dust when they drummed against the earth.

Upon the saddle was none other than the thieving gunslinger himself, Tennessee "Kid" Cooper.

The toe of each of his boots firmly in the stirrups, he twisted his torso around, looking behind him, back at the maze of trails that snaked through the valley. Just before he veered around the side of a rocky wall, he pulled back on the reins, making his horse slow to a stop so he could listen for any sign of the posse that had been on his literal tail for days now, pursuing him. The two greyish-brown appendages twitched and swiveled, trying to pick up on the distant sound of voices or galloping of other horses. But other than the occasional buzzard cawing as one circled against the clouds, not a sound could be heard.

Chewing on his toothpick, a grin crept across his muzzle, the coon laughing to himself as he turned back around in the saddle. He leaned forward to pet the thoroughbred on his forelock. "Looks like we lost 'em Bullet." He began to lead his horse at a more leisurely pace. "What say we go find us a place to lay low for a while, take a breather?"

The horse flared his nostrils, moving his head in a way that made it look like he was nodding, and Tennessee grinned back at him. "Well alrighty then, let's get goin'!"

Tennessee guided the horse through the region, towering walls of rocks and canyons as far as the eye could see. He traveled along the winding roads of Colorado, his earnings from the previous heist jingling audibly in one of the saddle bags. He'd been on the run ever since robbing the bank back in Cobra Flats and had been in great need of a little down time before he jumped up and would be at it all over again.

The current road led him up a small hill, and once he reached the top, the sight of neverending canyons ceased, and a bustling town in the distance came into view. Tennessee put a hand to his forehead, shielding his eyes from the harsh sunlight so he could view the town more clearly. It looked about like any other town, only massive: a water tower at one end, a windmill at another, its blades rotating slowly but continuously, and a lofty clock tower at the center. Buildings lined end to end, and paths meandered all throughout its expanse.

The outlaw adjusted his hat with a relaxed smile. "It's about time, eh Bullet? There's bound to be a nice little hotel somewhere down there. Then both of us can rest a spell."

As he rode into town on his horse, he glanced over at the small sign that read, in bold red letters: _Welcome to Cliffside_. Leading the equine on at a relaxed pace, his eyes began scanning his surroundings. He spotted a general store, a saloon, and his lips quirked into a smirk as he caught sight of a large bank and the local sheriff's office not too far away. He had a feeling he and the sheriff would end up meeting _very_ soon.

He also saw smoke billowing into the sky far off in the distance, but it was too far away for him to be able to distinguish its source. A fleeting thought and nothing more to him, he shrugged it off and pressed on.

"Gotta be one 'round here somewhere," he muttered to himself as he continued his search for a hotel, studying each building while his horse ambled on.

Before long, he was cognizant of yelling and sounds of panic coming from the other side of the town. His eyebrows knitting together suspiciously, he realized it was coming from the direction of the billowing smoke. Adjusting the reins to give them some slack, he mumbled, "Somethin's goin' on over there Bullet, let's check it out." He leaned forward and clicked his teeth against his tongue to signal him forward, leading Bullet into a canter and then a gallop. He rode through the town, the commotion growing louder in his ears the closer he got.

Once he arrived at the scene, he pulled tight on the reins, leaning back. "Hoooo there boy," he said, stopping the horse, finally able to see the source of the smoke. It was a schoolhouse, and it was on fire.

"We're gonna need more water than this! Tell 'em they need to start passin' them buckets a whole lot faster!" a badger shouted while splashing the contents of a tin bucket onto the fire. Many of the townsfolk had formed a line all the way from the water tower reserve, which was close by, thankfully. They passed bucket after bucket but the small splashes did little to kill the wild flames. Other folk gathered nearby, the onlookers talking worriedly amongst each other.

It was difficult for Tennessee to pick out what each individual was saying particularly; it was more so frantic chattering with everyone speaking at once. Save for the group closest to the schoolhouse, which consisted of a hare couple, the female holding a baby in her arms, and a prairie dog standing beside them.

All three looked anxious, but the female hare was hysterical. She was sobbing loudly, tears falling from her eyes in a torrent. She turned to the prairie dog and held the infant out to her. "Lou Ann, hold Austin, I'm goin' in there myself!"

The prairie dog did as she was told and took the young leveret, her eyes widening at her statement. "But Miss Molly—" the prairie dog tried.

The mother hare began to take off for the burning building when the male hare grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back. "Confound it Molly!" he shouted. "I ain't lettin' you go, you're stayin' right _here_, you hear me?!"

She fought against him with all her might. "Let me go! My baby's in there, _our_ baby!" she screamed, the tears pouring down her face. "Don't you care nothin' bout our little boy?!"

"But if ya'll go in there you'll get trapped in them flames too!" he yelled back. "Then what?! I ain't losin' both of y'all today!"

The female hare shook her head violently, her auburn locks whipping back and forth. She tried to wriggle free from his grasp but he was just too strong. Gritting her teeth she beat her fists against his chest, but he only continued to hold her. When she wore herself out and realized it was useless to fight him, she buried her face in his chest and wailed. "My baby!" she sobbed in a broken voice. "My baaabyyyy!"

He stroked her back, trying to comfort her in her hysterical state, noticeably broken up himself.

Tennessee was tying his horse's reins to a post as he overheard this conversation taking place. When Bullet was successfully tied, the raccoon began to weave through the crowd. Tapping the shoulder of an elderly tortoise as he was passing, he spoke up, "Say friend, what happened here?"

The tortoise pointed to the burning building, the flames dominating nearly every inch of the exterior. "One of them Prescott boys and his friend snuck into the schoolhouse, and that there fire started with them two still in there. His friend was able to git out 'fore the fire got too wild and he come runnin' and told us. But that Prescott boy…well he's still in there somewhere…by the time we all got here, we figured we were too late. That fire's blockin' every window and door into that place, no way in."

His gaze glued to the dancing flames covering the schoolhouse, Tennessee made a mad dash for the left side without a second thought. He examined the entire wall for a window he could climb in through, but every one of them seemed to be overtaken by massive flames, just as the tortoise had said. He rounded the corner, looking over the back wall. His eyes frantically searching as he knew time was of the essence, he finally spied a hole in the wall near the frame's base. Smoke billowed out of it relentlessly, but it was the only opening he could see that wasn't already ablaze with flames.

A few of the townsfolk had watched Tennessee run to the side of the building and followed after, curious as to what he was up to. Keeping at a safe distance, they watched him kneel down and start to crawl through the hole.

"What're you _doin_' fool?" one of them asked.

He didn't answer, just continued to crawl through the hole, grateful for his thin build.

A female desert mouse gasped as she watched the masked stranger slip into the burning schoolhouse. She scurried back to the crowd, jabbing a finger in the direction she'd come from. "That crazy coon's gone in there!" she shrieked. "He found him a way in!"

The voices in the crowd intensified.

"He did what?" someone shouted.

"What's he thinkin'?" another shouted in disbelief.

"That dag-blasted idiot!" came a third voice. "He's gonna be cooked coon fer sure!"

At this point Tennessee couldn't hear any of them, as he was already inside the schoolhouse, the crackling of fire as it burned away the foundation of the building the only sound his ears were cognizant of at the moment. He began to cough as he got to his feet, attempting to wave the smoke away.

He scanned the lower level, looking and listening for the young boy. "Son?" he called, putting a hand on one side of his mouth. "Where are ya?"

He didn't receive an answer, which worried him. The gunslinger's eyes darted around as he stepped over piles of charred wood and fallen beams, his wary gaze on the ravenous flames that continued to eat away at the walls and floor.

He stopped dead in his tracks when he heard faint coughing, his ears swiveling about as he tried to determine where it was coming from. More coughing could be heard, and Tennessee whipped his head up. It sounded like it was coming from the second story. He dashed to the stairs and ran up them, the smoke all around filling his lungs, beginning to irritate his throat and eyes. He began to cough himself and had to squint due to smoke clouding his field of vision while searching the second story, which was nothing more than a small loft that acted as a library.

His gaze roaming over the charred bookcases filled with books, or what was left of them anyway, he stepped forward, his tail whipping continuously from side to side. He spotted a small table across the loft, and underneath he could see a pair of little feet. He bent down, looking into the frightened eyes of a young hare. He was hugging his knees to his chest, and he was trembling slightly.

_Poor kid_, Tennessee thought. _He looks more shaken up than a mouse in a rattlesnake hole!_

Tennessee crouched down so that he was eye-level with the young boy. "Hey now, don't be scared. I ain't gonna hurt ya. I came to get ya outta here." He held his hand out to him and gave him a warm smile of reassurance. But the boy shook his head, backing up against the wall, his large ears lowered in fear.

"C'mon now," Tennessee urged, still holding his hand out to the boy. "I promise, ya can trust me kiddo. I'll get ya outta here safely and back to yer family, but we gotta get goin'. Right now, 'fore this whole place burns to the ground."

The young boy hesitated, coughing a few more times and groaning as he looked up at the adult raccoon. "You'll take me to my Momma?" he asked in a strained voice, his throat raw from the acrid smoke in his lungs.

The friendly smile on Tennessee's muzzle widened. "You bet I will. Now c'mon partner, let's get a move on."

The little hare finally scooted forward and crawled out from underneath the table. Tennessee picked him up and held him, and the boy rested his head on his shoulder. A hand securely on the child's back, Tennessee stood up and sprinted over to the staircase.

He was making his way down the stairs with the boy in his arms when a portion of the fire engulfed the base of the staircase. The flourishing flames were quickly spreading upward, coming straight for them.

"Shoot!" said Tennessee through gritted teeth.

The hare whimpered in fear and hid his face in Tennessee's neck, and the raccoon cradled his head in one palm. "It's alright kid," he soothed. "Everything's gonna be alright." With no hanging light fixtures to use to swing off of from this high point, he did the only thing he could and climbed onto the handrail. Using his rail slide move as he would on a typical metal rail, he slid down it, and just before descending straight into the fire, he jumped, leaping over more flames scattered on the wood flooring. He held the boy to his chest as he tucked and landed in a roll. Getting to his feet quickly, he looked down at the child. "Ya alright?"

The boy nodded. "Mhm," he mumbled, thrown into another fit of coughs.

As Tennessee stepped over the smoking piles of wood that had collected on the floor, a piece of smoldering wood fell from overhead, and Tennessee jumped back with a yelp as it almost hit him. He glanced up at the unstable ceiling while maneuvering through the mounds of wood surrounding his feet. The smoke became unbearable as it rose up and enveloped the two like an ominous mist.

Tennessee held his vest open and shielded the little hare's face with it. "Try not ta breathe anymore of that smoke in, alright? We're almost out, just gotta get to that back wall."

The boy did his best to comply, taking small breaths, keeping his head nestled within the kind stranger's vest.

The raccoon held his breath while swatting at the smoke and weaving through the flames, finally reaching the outer wall. He looked over his shoulder at the thriving fire closing in on them and knelt down, an arm wrapped protectively around the young hare as he crawled back through the hole, the smoke so thick Tennessee had to close his eyes completely while inching through this time. Once out of the building but not the unrelenting clouds of gray emanating from its windows and weakened walls, he leaped to his feet and broke into a run, rounding the corner and rejoining the crowd.

"Momma!" the boy's weak voice called to her.

The redhead's ears shot up, and she spun around to see her son in the raccoon's arms.

Multiple gasps could be heard from the gathered townsfolk when they realized that the raccoon had safely emerged from the schoolhouse fire with the child. The others were still working as fast as they could to douse what remained of the fire, but took notice of the two.

"Well I'll be! That coon saved him!" someone declared.

"I don't believe it!" another stated. And at that point, many of the folk began speaking all at once, all voicing their amazement with the rescue by this heroic stranger.

"Carson!" the female hare cried. She ran straight over, immediately taking her little boy from Tennessee and hugging him close, dropping to her knees as she broke down and started to sob again.

She covered his face with kisses in-between sobs. "Oh my heavens I was so worried about you!" She grabbed his shoulders and looked him in the eye. "I thought I done lost you for good!"

"Sorry Momma," Carson mumbled.

Tears spilling down her face like rain, she wrapped her arms around him, too relieved to stay mad at him. "Oh sweetheart," she whispered.

Carson looked up at Tennessee. "You saved my life Mister," he said to him.

His mother looked up at the raccoon, and walked over to him, followed by Lou Ann and the father hare. Still holding her son, she wrapped her free arm around Tennessee and hugged him tightly for a long moment. "I can't thank you enough for saving my Carson sir."

Chuckling, Tennessee replied, "Shucks ma'am, think nothin' of it."

Without thinking, she placed a kiss of gratitude on his cheek. Then came the sound of her husband clearing his throat audibly, causing her to turn his way, and rather abruptly at that.

Lou Ann rushed over holding Austin. "Land sake Carson, you almost gave us all a heart attack! What were ya'll doin in there?"

"Todd dared me and Billy to go in there and steal one a' Miss Kent's books," he explained in a meek voice. "And next thing we know, there's fire everywhere! And I couldn't see in all the smoke, I tried to follow him out…but it spread so fast, and I got trapped. An-and I tried to yell for help but that smoke, it made it hurt to yell after a while…"

His mother just held him tight and kissed his forehead.

The father hare approached and joined in their embrace. "Don't you ever scare me and your ma like that ever again, you hear me?"

"Yes Pa...I'm sorry," Carson's tiny voice squeaked, his lower lip trembling apologetically. He was safe once more in the loving arms of his parents, the only place he wanted to be right now.

The gunslinger's heart melted to mush at watching the family moment unfold.

Lou Ann approached the female hare. "Miss Molly, we should take him home now, and get in touch with Dr. Green. He might need some medical attention after being in that smoke for so long."

Molly nodded, turning back to Tennessee. "Thank you again sir, our family will forever be in your debt."

A smile graced the thief's muzzle. Looking down at the babbling leveret in Lou Ann's arms, he walked over and mussed his head fur. "Couldn't just let lil' junior here lose his older brother." The youngest hare smiled up at Tennessee, pawing at his yellow neckerchief, causing the raccoon to chuckle softly. "And don't you worry 'bout that Miss Molly, I'm just happy he's alright."

* * *

Long after the mother hare and the prairie dog left with her children, once all the flames had successfully been put out and the raging fire ceased, the father hare lingered nearby, as did many of the townsfolk in the area.

The hare approached Tennessee, a relieved and grateful expression on his face. "Son, that was a mighty brave thing ya did, lemme find a way to express my gratitude to ya."

Tennessee promptly waved his hand in dismissal. "Aw that ain't necessary, sir."

"Oh I insist, young man," he replied. "Tell me what ya want, and it's yours."

The raccoon shrugged his shoulders modestly. "But I don't need nothin'." Just then a sharp hunger pang hit his stomach. With a frown he lowered his hand and put it to his torso as his empty stomach growled. "Except maybe a little somethin' to eat," he admitted with a sheepish laugh.

The hare began to chuckle as he patted him on the back. "Well shoot, you just come on over to our place young man, we'll fix you up something right nice. Yer in for a real treat too, 'cause my wife's the best cook in town, but don't you take my word for it, I'll just let ya see for yerself. " His eyes lit up as he snapped his fingers. "I'll do better than that! I'm good friends with the owner of the biggest hotel in town. I'll make sure you're put up in a nice room there free of charge!"

Tennessee was shaking his head before the other could even finish. "Ohhh no sir, I'm payin' for a place to sleep 'round here now! I can't let you be doing me no favors like that."

"But you done _me_ a favor!" he argued. "Me and my family I mean, and it was a lot more than a favor really. It's the least I can do."

"A meal is more than enough sir, just wouldn't be right to stay somewhere without payin'…" he trailed off. Judging by the persistent look on the hare's face, it was evident he wasn't budging on the matter, so Tennessee felt it useless to argue further. _Well he _is_ offering, and it'd sure be impolite to turn down an offer like that, especially since he looks like an important fella, _the raccoon thought to himself, studying his attire, which gave the older gentleman a rather polished appearance.

"Ah ya drive a hard bargain sir, thank ya kindly, that sounds mighty nice!" Tennessee answered after a moment. "I promise not to overstay my welcome though, I'm just passin' through."

"Well, far as I'm concerned, you'll always be welcome here son. Now then, I suppose I should introduce myself." He held out his hand, displaying a friendly countenance. "I'm Mayor Dan Prescott, but you can call me Dan." About that time a few males were making their way over.

Tennessee's suspicions about this hare being someone of importance had just been confirmed; no one was more important than the mayor himself! With a swift hand the coon removed his hat and held it, using his free palm to shake hands with him. "A pleasure sir, my name's T—" He stopped himself just before stupidly slipping up and giving his real name. "Uh…i-it…it's T.C. That's what I go by, sir." He prayed the mayor wouldn't notice his sudden bout of stuttering.

Luckily he didn't, and the hare nodded. "T.C. huh? Well T.C. I'd like you to meet a few friends of mine." He gestured to a bobcat, who was on the larger side in stature. "This here is my lifelong friend Will." Dan raised a finger and pointed to the two genets on the other side of the feline, one an adult and the other in his late teens, if the raccoon had to guess. "And my other friend Adam and his son Tucker," Dan continued.

They all shook hands and said their hellos. Tucker seemed somewhat awestruck by this stranger that had showed up out of nowhere and saved someone's life. He spied the newcomer's weapon almost immediately and whistled. "Nice shootin' iron!" the teen complimented in heartfelt enthusiasm.

Tennessee glanced down, placing a gloved hand on his gun. "Aw it gets the job done I reckon!"

"I sure would like to give a go at shootin' it," Tucker remarked in a hopeful tone.

Two fingers drumming the holster, Tennessee hummed in thought. "Well, you might could join me in a session of target practice, fire off a round or two maybe...depending on how long I stick around here that is," he added, shrugging nonchalantly at the voiced afterthought.

The teen's eyes lit up like fireworks. "Gosh sir, you mean it?!"

Adam started laughing as he patted his son's shoulder. "Now don't pester him boy." The lanky genet shot his father a miffed look but said nothing more; Tennessee could only chuckle in response.

"Come on, we'll all go to my place and eat, you can save your questions for our newcomer 'til then. C'mon fellas, what say we head out now?" Dan asked them.

The raccoon didn't have time to reply before everyone's attention was diverted to the horse-drawn carriage coming into view, the steady clip-clop of hooves growing louder the closer it got.

"I told you it was a fire!" a feminine voice shrieked before the wagon's passengers began filing out, and as they did, one passenger in particular happened to catch Tennessee's eye. He could feel his mouth fall open as he watched her heading over to join the crowd.

"Say fellas…who's she?" Tennessee whispered to them.

The gathered men turned, their eyes falling on a quite stunning female coon. Her black and gray ringed tail swished in rhythm with her hips as she walked, and her glossy black ringlets bounced with each step she took. Her pouty red lips looked so kissable, so temptingly kissable, and her tantalizing curves accentuated by her pale pink dress were enough to make any male's eyes crawl over her figure.

There was no denying that she was a sight behold, a kind of girl with the ability to make heads turn when she stepped into a room.

"Ahhh, Miss Sarah," Adam answered with a knowing grin. "Girl's a real beaut, and a sweetheart too. She catches the attention of all the fellas 'round here, that's fer sure. Her suitors like to refer to her as the raven-haired beauty." He nudged the coon in the side, snorting a laugh. "But don't you go tryin' nothin' on her now T.C. Johnny Burbank has his eye on her and lord he's a mean aim with his pistol!"

Tennessee shook his head, hiding an eyeroll and waving off the notion. "Not her," he muttered, staring directly behind Sarah. "_Her_."

Several pairs of eyebrows furrowed as they watched a thinner brunette raccoon following close behind, Sarah's sister. She wore a similar dress, but unlike her sister, whose hair was put up in a set of frilly ribbons, the second female's hair whipped wildly in the gusts of wind blowing by. She took one hand away from the stack of materials she carried to push her hair away from her face, a futile effort, as it only blew right back, the wispy strands partially concealing her masked face. The single ribbon she wore was not doing its job so well.

"You don't mean Cheyenne…do ya friend?" Will asked, his tone laced with uncertainty.

Tennessee's eyes lingered on her own misty blue orbs, though she was too distracted with the various purchases previously made at the general store that she carried to even notice. "Cheyenne…" he mused, putting his hand to the scruff of fur on his chin. "So that's her name eh? Purty little gal."

"See, what'd I tell ya'll? I was tellin' the truth!" Sarah insisted to the taller brunette. "I know smoke when I see it!" She crossed her arms with a disgruntled frown. "And y'all all said I was a liar…hmph!"

"No one was callin' you a liar Sarah, we just thought your eyes might've been playin' tricks on you," Cheyenne assured her in a calm tone. As she finally saw the destruction for herself, she stopped still, a gasp escaping her muzzle. "The schoolhouse," she whispered, her lips parted in shock and dismay. "Oh no…"

"Miss Kent is gonna be devastated when she finds out about this!" Sarah added softly, putting a delicate hand to her muzzle while shaking her head, her curls swaying and bouncing. She removed her hat and shoved into her sister's already full arms. "Hold this Chey won't you?" she asked, though it came off sounding like a curt command. She didn't even bother looking at her as she lifted the hem of her dress and walked forward. Cheyenne simply bit her tongue and complied...as best she could.

"How did this happen?" the raven-haired coon demanded. "Who's done this?"

"We dunno Sarah," Adam answered matter-of-factly. "We didn't know a thing about it 'till after it started." The adult genet quirked a brow at his son, who seemed to be spellbound by Miss Sarah, to the point he was in danger of drooling.

"It's a bad omen if you ask me," a gruff voice in the crowd called out, murmurs and expressions of unease sweeping over the sea of faces.

"Omen or not, it's gotta be fixed," Sarah declared. "These kids need somewhere to go to learn to read and write!"

"Was anyone hurt?" Cheyenne interjected in concern, knowing this to be a much more pressing matter at the moment.

Will tipped his hat. "No, but Carson was mighty lucky. If it weren't for our masked hero here steppin' in and riskin' his own tail like he did, little guy could've burned alive in there."

"Carson was in the fire?" Cheyenne's eyes were as big as saucers.

"That he was," Dan jumped in. "But everything's alright, he's safe now, thanks to this young man right here!" He gestured to Tennessee, and the thief just smiled, never one to brag or boast, no matter how great a feat he accomplished may have been. He lowered the brim of his hat over his eyes in a sheepish manner.

Her gaze falling to the ground shyly, the brunette pushed her bangs out of her face, looking at him from beneath her lashes. "Well that was…mighty kind of you sir."

"You can just call me T.C., Miss," he told her with a friendly grin.

She opened her mouth to say something when the melodic voice of her sister rang out.

"Kind? Why it was more than kind! That's one of the most selfless acts I've ever heard of, and so brave." She bit her lip, finding both the masked hero's facial features and physique appealing. Subconsciously becoming flirtatious around this new gentleman, she subtly batted her lashes, focused on his deep hazel irises.

He forced a small laugh, scratching at the back of his neck. "Aw shucks ma'am, it was nothin' really. Was just glad I got in there in time is all."

"Oh nonsense! It wasn't nothin'! You're a true hero sir! Savin' the mayor's kid from a fire! You don't gotta be all modest about it," Sarah responded, placing her hands on her hips with a coy simper and a slight tilt of her head. "Forgive me if I'm being forward here, but you're mighty handsome too sir. Boys 'round here better be careful, you could really…give 'em a run for their money." She twirled a strand of hair in one finger as she said this.

Feeling slightly undeserving of Sarah's flattery, his eyes drifted back over to the quiet brunette raccoon, who looked as if she was feeling very much like a third wheel right now. She wasn't lavishing him in attention like her sister, and this intrigued the male coon. Of course, that didn't mean he didn't appreciate an obviously attractive girl complimenting him. "Well comin' from such a pretty gal like yourself I certainly take it to heart," he told her. "Though I should mention that my heart can only take so much earnest flattery at one time, Miss." The two laughed before Tennessee cleared his throat, giving a smile to Cheyenne. "And this lovely lady here must be your sister." Internally he felt triumphant as a flush of red tinged Cheyenne's cheeks, but she gave no reply.

"Oh yes where are my manners?" She gestured to herself and her sibling in sequence. "I'm Sarah Whitlocke, and this is my older sister, Cheyenne."

"A pleasure Miss Sarah," he replied warmly, tipping his hat. Then in a daring move he greeted her the way he often chose to greet ladies: he grasped her hand, planting a kiss on it, making her giggle aloud in delight. He did the same with Cheyenne, only his lips lingered a little longer when they met her hand. He raised his head, a smile appearing on his face as he took in the sight of her flustered expression, the brunette uneasily drawing back and clearing her throat. "And same to you, Miss Cheyenne," he murmured.

"U-um…likewise," she mumbled, staring at the toe of her boots in firm refusal to meet his gaze.

Sarah watched her sister as she pushed her stubborn hair back, the younger rolling her eyes at the sight. "Chey, if you'd fix your hair up proper like you wouldn't have to fuss with it so much. That ribbon's about to come loose," she notified her in a hushed voice.

For a second time, Cheyenne had to bite her tongue, granting Sarah a quick scowl. One thing she couldn't stand was for her younger sister to embarrass her in front of other folk, something she did quite often, even when she didn't even realize she was doing so.

"Is there anything we can do to help out Mr. Prescott?" Cheyenne asked.

He shook his head. "No ma'am, don't you ladies worry 'bout a thing, we'll have it all taken care of."

"Alright then…if you're sure sir...I'm just so sorry it happened."

"Positive," he assured her with an amiable smile. His smile faded however, when he turned to look at the wreckage. "I am too, wish we knew how it happened. The possibility of it not bein' due to natural causes is what's bothersome to me, but nothin' we can do now 'cept build a new one and move on."

Everyone nodded their agreement.

"Well we oughta be headin' back into town now," said Sarah as she grabbed her sister by the arm. "Come on, let's go tell Pa what's happened, and then we can show him all the dresses we bought!"

"You mean all the dresses _you_ bought?" Cheyenne jabbed with a smirk.

Sarah blinked in puzzlement. "You didn't get one?"

"I was a little busy helpin' someone else find ones she liked best to have any time to look for one of my own…" Her expression melted into a genuine loving one. "Not that I mind Sarah."

The younger female grinned brightly, linking arms with her. As she turned to leave, she waved at Tennessee. "It was real nice meetin' ya T.C. I do hope to see ya again soon." She pulled Cheyenne with her. "C'mon Chey!"

He waved back, a grin on his muzzle as he watched the raven-haired coon practically pushing her sister up into the wagon, the older nearly dropping their stack of purchases.

"Bye fellas!" Sarah called once they were both seated.

Cheyenne glanced back at the handsome masked gentleman. Their eyes meeting for a short moment, she hesitantly lifted a hand, waving as well.

As the wagoner led the horses forward, a sudden gust of wind blew by, and the ribbon in Cheyenne's hair came undone. The wind sent it flying into the open air before it slowly floated to the ground. Tennessee darted over to the spot where it landed and scooped it up. Lifting his head to see the wagon was well on its way down the dirt road at that point, he considered calling her name or chasing after the wagon, but then he decided maybe he should hold onto the ribbon, just so he could use it as a conversation starter if they ran into each other again, something he found himself hoping for as he gripped the soft strip of fabric.

"Them Whitlocke girls, they sure are somethin' ain't they?" Adam chuckled.

"Golly Miss Sarah, she's like an angel that fell from heaven above, the girl of my dreams," Tucker whispered, leaning against the nearby flagpole.

"Son, as long as Johnny's around, you gon' have to keep dreamin'," his father reminded him with a pat on the back, bringing forth a round of laughter from the group of gentlemen.

"Looks like a Whitlocke grabbed T.C.'s attention too," Tucker noted with a cheeky grin.

The coon's ears perked up. Quickly pocketing the ribbon he turned around and rejoined them. "Uh…she's…yea they're somethin' all right" he managed to mutter, more to himself than anyone in particular. "As purdy as a bloom on a cactus."

The bobcat folded his arms across his chest. "T.C…just a fair warnin' here, but I wouldn't try my luck with Cheyenne if I was you."

Tennessee stared at him in confusion, his brow quirked. "And why's that friend?" he asked.

The feline looked to his genet friend, scratching the back of his head. "She's uh...well…"

"She can be a real spitfire," Adam jumped in. "Got a bit of a temper on her when she gets rattled."

"Yea? Who don't now an' again?" Tennessee asked with a casual shrug of his shoulders.

"She ain't easy either son," Will told him. "Cheyenne's just got it in that thick head of hers that she don't wanna be courtin' no one. We ain't real sure why that is, but ain't no guy in town that gets too far with her. We just figured she'd rather be alone, one of them gals that winds up an old maid."

Tennessee took off his hat, causally spinning it on one finger with a sly smirk and replied, "Well now maybe she just ain't met the right guy yet."

"But she ain't courtin' material, take our word for it son, plenty of other girls in town you'd have much more luck goin' after," Will attempted a second time.

With a flick of his wrist, he tossed his hat back up. It landed right between his ears, and he slid his thumb and forefinger across the front. "Sir, iffin' ya don't mind me sayin', I do believe that's fer the fellow who's tryin' to court her to decide, wouldn't ya say?"

He held his hands up, chuckling. "I s'pose son. Don't say I didn't warn ya though."

The ringtailed gunslinger's eyes drifted back to the direction the wagon had left, thinking that a bit of a challenge would be right up his alley.


End file.
